Tag: apple

Lacie Ring: Cheesecake Christmas Trees

Check out this cuteness Lacie did for our #client @TysonFoods #ad.

It is the most wonderful time of the year and I love it! I’m having so much fun creating new holiday recipes. One of my favorites are these super easy 3 Ingredient Cheesecake Christmas Trees that will make you cheer! There is nothing better to get you in the holiday mood than an easy recipe. Especially one that is so much fun and colorful to make. Cheesecake Christmas Trees are the perfect 3 ingredient Christmas treat to get the kiddos involved too. READ MORE

Gina Knuppenburg: Peppermint Biscotti

Nothing screams December like…Peppermint & Chocolate. And nothing speaks louder to me than chocolate, friends! It’s that time of year once again-it’s time for searching for irresistible peppermint recipes, it’s time for jolly old St. Nick…and most importantly {okay, maybe not as important as the birth of Christ!}….it’s BIRTHDAY MONTH!! Yes…a whole month of celebrating my upcoming 19th birthday ? {don’t ask how many 19th birthdays I’ve actually celebrated} READ MORE

Gina Knuppenburg: Hot Cocoa Bar

Want a surefire way to bring surprise and a genuine, toothy smile to someone {or a group of someones}? Find a fabulous hot cocoa recipe {you’re in luck…I have the perfect one for you!}, set out a fun array of add-ins, toppings, and tasty stirrers, and sit back and enjoy the surprise and delight of your giftees. Who doesn’t get all warm and fuzzy thinking about hot cocoa? I think this would be a fun surprise to set up for kids after school, family get-togethers, or even as a gift {package it all up in a pretty package and add the hot cocoa mix with directions. I did this set-up in the lounge at work today . I was truly amazed at my co-workers delight and giddiness-kids in a candy store, I tell ya. READ MORE

BRENDA EMBRY: Homemade Peppermint Marshmallows

First of all, I’m not a huge fan of marshmallows. When I use them for cooking, I don’t feel they are all that flavorful or actually add anything other than some sweetness and texture to a recipe. Speaking of texture, I can hardly stand reaching into a bag and touching those chalky little pellets. I always hope and pray they haven’t congealed together so I can just pour them into a measuring cup without incident. And, even though I know they are an integrative part of the classic s’mores equation, I would rather forego the whole marshmallow thing and just eat the candy bar. READ MORE

DEBBIE ARNOLD: Sara Lee® Cheesecake with Caramel Apple Cider Glaze

#ad Are you feeling all stressed out about the holiday season? If we are honest, most of us have been or are there! We try to be all things to everyone: shopper of bargains that look like a $1,000,000, gift wrapper extraordinaire, party planner/caterer, gourmet cook and baker—you get the picture, right? Let Sara Lee® Cheesecake from our #client @TysonFoods help you out! #TysonMadeWithLove. READ MORE

We really enjoy the amazing food posts from our ARWB members and are excited to share a new batch with you this week. Be sure to check them out.

Keri Bucci: Coconut Chicken

Are you a fan of Asian food like we are? Then this Coconut Chicken recipe from Keri Bucci over at My Table of Three is a very tasty one to add to your menu. Plus, it’s low carb and gluten free!

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of Asian food. From sushi to egg drop soup there are many I call my favorites. This Coconut Chicken, like many of my other Asian inspired recipes, was born out of my desire to enjoy my favorite dishes but in a healthier way.

Coconut Chicken is my copy cat version of one of my old buffet favorites. In the past, I would pile my plate high of the overly sweet chicken and lavish every bite. Well, that is until I felt like someone was going to have to roll me out of the restaurant. Darn, you buffet food and darn you missing will power! Read More

Helen Lampkin: Apple Tart with Calvados Cream

Nothing says fall more than apple season in Arkansas. Helen Lampkin, of My Brother’s Salsa and Helen’s Table, visits a local NWA farmers market to find out about the best of the iconic apple harvest.

Northwest Arkansas is still growing apples and we are fortunate to be the home of the family owned Vanzant Fruit Farm

So, before the peak of apple season passes you by, head to your local farmer’s market this and pick up some fresh apples. Then take the time to create this simple Apple Tart with Calvados Cream recipe, call the family around the table and savor every moment! Read More

Julie Kohl: Keto Coffee Disks

Want an easy, fool-proof way to have your keto coffee ready for you in a snap? Julie Kohl of Julie D. Kohl has the answer for you.

The problem with most of the Keto Coffee recipes I’ve seen is that they all require you to blend all of the ingredients together in a blender.

I’m not sure about you but I barely have time to press the brew button on my K-cup machine in the morning, let alone pull out the blender. Plus, I sure don’t want to clean that thing EVERY day!

These Keto disks are my answer to the hassle. The results are tasty and healthy. Read More

Lacie Ring: Peanut Butter CupCereal Snack Mix

Easy Peasy Pleasy’s Lacie Ring has created a real winner with this snack mix. Your kiddos will definitely think you’re a winner too when you make up a batch for after school snacks or lunch box treats.

First things first…you grab a Super Size Bag of Peanut Butter Cups Cereal. Next you combine it with kid approved additions to make the perfect cereal snack mix. Adding more peanut butter and more chocolate takes this cereal over the top. Finally, you have one Super Sized Snack Idea! READ MORE

Since the day my daughter was old enough to sit up, she has been in the kitchen with me. It doesn’t seem like that long ago that I had her sitting up on the counter top while I measured the ingredients, analyzed recipes, and did my best to place something edible on the table for my family.

As soon as Ting got old enough to help, baking together became a tradition for us. Lately Bug has been in on the action as well, and cooking with my kids has become one of my favorite activities.

At our house Fall doesn’t really bring a longing for pumpkin flavored anything, but it does stir up a need for apple based desserts. I started searching for a new apple-something for us to bake, and I found this Apple Cake recipe on one of those recipe database sites.

The first step for me when cooking with my kids is always prep work. It is so much easier to get all the ingredients measured out before the kids hit the kitchen. I know the day is coming that Ting will be ready to practice measuring, but for now our cooking sessions always begin with pre-measured ingredients.

I love this recipe because it is so simple for both my kids to just pour and mix all the ingredients together. Everything just goes into the same bowl and then it pours over the apples. It makes it easy when both kids can participate at the same level and this cake was definitely on that scale.

We also loved this cake because it smells delicious when it gets in the oven, and it tastes even better when it gets on the table!

Karen lives in South Arkansas with her husband and two kids. When she’s not working or chasing kids, she blogs about her family’s life on Ting’s Mom Blog. She also reads books for all ages and reviews them on her book site, Ting’s Mom Books.

“Our bread it is white and our ale it is brown…” Ok, I’ll stop. In case you’re wondering, those are the words from the traditional English Gloucestershire Wassail song. Come on, indulge me, you’ve got a minute to explore that link and the background on wassail!

Gloucestershire Wassail (on Youtube)

Apparently, my high school years of performing in a Madrigal dinner had quite an effect, and now those around me must also endure it. If you don’t feel like delving in, here’s the gist of it: today’s definition of a madrigal dinner is a multi-course, Medieval-style meal served by costumed performers singing traditional (old English) Christmas carols. (“The boar’s head, in hand bear I…” Ok, sorry – I’ll really stop this time.)

So, why does this matter on foodie Friday? Because wassail (literally “waes hael” or “be you healthy”) is a foodie tradition you should most definitely explore! Before we go further, though, I need to offer my standard disclaimer from The Food Adventuress: I’m quite horrible at precisely following directions and tend to just do whatever I want in the kitchen and wait to see how it turns out. So, if you’d like a real recipe for wassail, you’d best go elsewhere. Just do a quick search on the Interweb and you’re sure to turn up lots of lovely options. Now, don’t tell my Mom, but here’s what I do:

Grab crock pot a little too late in the day for 6 p.m. wassail readiness.

Have a glass of wine or your relaxing beverage of choice.

Recollect that you were going to make wassail and get back to it.

Fill said crock pot about 2/3 full of apple cider.

Top it off with generous pours* of orange juice (I like pulpey for this!) and pineapple juice.

A couple of notes that will increase your cool factor: first, everybody has a scratchy throat around the holidays. Wassail is the guaranteed fix-it and soother – offer it to everyone who enters your home. Of course, your home smells completely fabulous because you made wassail! Also, I recommend not adding alcohol. Shocking, I know. Wassail is enjoyable by all… the kids and those who abstain should enjoy it as much as everyone else, and anyone who wishes to doctor (ahem) their drink may do so with ease once in the mug.

Finally (insider tip!) just store the wassail outside between servings, assuming it is even mildly chilly at night in your neck of the woods of Arkansas (and beyond). Just slowly warm it up starting a little earlier on subsequent serving days. The wassail gets a little thicker as the spices mull, so just add some more of the juices prior to simmering and the original batch should get you through several servings.

Again, this is all highly unscientific but fairly popular Chez Stephens, and it’s standard fare throughout the month of December from tree-decorating through New Year’s. I hope you’ll try it, and maybe add a few of the old English carols to spice up your holiday tunes as well! Give some background to your family and your kids may be the smartest ones on the block. Mine is definitely the one who knows about wassail, which either makes her incredibly cool or highly nerdy. I’m ok with both.

Beth is the marketing maven and one of the four founding members of Arkansas Women Bloggers, but her real job is as executive director of the Ozark Natural Science Center – a nonprofit field science, environmental education, camp and conference facility in northwest Arkansas. She blogs over at The Little Magpie and The Food Adventuress and finds herself eating far more of her mother’s rum cake around the holidays than she would care to admit.

Please note: all images and links are public domain from the web, and used only to illustrate topics for your personal use.

Blogger of the Month

When Diane first started blogging, November 2011, she added my favorite southern recipes. After all, she is from the south. She quickly realized that she did not have time to fix complicated recipes, blog about them nor did her readers have time to make them.